Garden Renovation in Tooting

Tooting's Victorian terraces often come with a decent sized back garden that's sitting there overgrown and underused. We redesign these into practical, good looking spaces that a Tooting family can get out of all year, from summer barbecues to winter evenings out under the lighting.

We put function first, then make it look good. Most Tooting families need the garden to do several jobs at once, somewhere to eat, somewhere for the kids to play, room for the bikes, a spot to dry the washing, and none of it looking like a jumble. We lay it out in defined zones and tie it together with the materials and the planting.

The hard landscaping is usually porcelain or natural stone paving for the main terrace, then a lawn or a play safe surface beyond it. Raised planters, a bit of bench seating and built in storage keep everything tidy. We stick to materials that are hard wearing, easy to look after and sit well against the Victorian brick.

Planting is a big part of every Tooting garden we do. Evergreen screening along the boundary walls buys you some privacy, and flowering perennials, ornamental grasses and compact shrubs bring colour and texture through the seasons. We pick species that cope with London clay and the patchy light you get in a terrace garden.

Tooting gardens are usually on the generous side for South London, often 10 to 20 metres deep, which gives you plenty to work with. Being close to Tooting Bec Common and Tooting Graveney Common only underlines how much people round here value outdoor space.

A renovated garden turns a neglected patch into somewhere you use every day. For a neighbourhood that's big on community, outdoor living and practical family space, it's one of the most satisfying jobs you can do to a house.